Multiple reservoir device

ABSTRACT

A multiple reservoir device comprises a storage space for concurrently reserving multiple substances is provided. The device preferably includes an accommodation module ( 2 ) and at least two extensible reservoir apparatuses ( 322 ) installed in the module. As one reservoir apparatus discharges part or all of the substance therein, the reservoir apparatus ( 322 ) contracts and releases space which, previously occupied by the removed substance, is now used for allowing another reservoir apparatus ( 322 ) to reserve substance and/or for allowing the accommodation module ( 2 ) to store foreign objects.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a multiple reservoir device. Morespecifically, the present invention relates to a multiple reservoirdevice that utilizes extensible reservoir apparatuses to reservedifferent kinds of material in a same space wherein the space releasedby removing material from one reservoir apparatus and therebycontracting the reservoir apparatus is used for allowing anotherreservoir apparatus to reserve substance and/or for storing foreignobjects.

2. Description of the Related Art

A common characteristic of conventional reservoir devices is that theyhave a storage space only either used for storing a substance or leftunused. Although some reservoir devices have in their housing a flexiblereservoir that bulges and contracts with the amount of substancetherein, these devices still have the same above problem; their storagespace cannot be exploited to accommodate more substances or any objectsthat do not belong to the reservoir device. Another commonly seenweakness is that these devices have a fixed volume housing foraccommodating the reservoir and the substance reserved therein. Thepossibility of using the same space occupied by the housing to storeother objects does not exist, even when the reservoir is empty or onlyminimally filled. These problems, therefore, lead to a low flexibilityof using space.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A multiple reservoir device comprises a storage space for concurrentlyreserving multiple substances is provided. The device preferablyincludes an accommodation module (2) and at least two extensiblereservoir apparatuses (3R) installed in the module. The multiplereservoir device may also comprise a transportation module (4) fortransporting substance into and out of a reservoir apparatus (3R). Asone reservoir apparatus (3R) discharges part or all of its reservedsubstance, it contracts and releases the space previously occupied bythe removed substance for allowing another reservoir apparatus (3R) toreserve substance and/or for allowing the accommodation module (2) tostore objects. The multiple reservoir device may further comprise aprocessor (412) for processing substance before it is reserved ordischarged. A rotating means (35) may be added for rotating thereservoir apparatuses (3R) to, for example, mix and blend reservedsubstances. The accommodation module (2) may also be made extensible sothat it has a relatively contracted form while its storage space is notfully occupied. This therefore offers the possibility of releasing roomfor more flexible use of space.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustration of a multiple reservoir deviceaccording to an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustration of the multiple reservoirdevice in FIG. 1, wherein a configuration of a mobile partitionseparating the interior space of the accommodation module into twostorage spaces is depicted;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view illustration of the multiplereservoir device in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustration of the multiple reservoirdevice in FIG. 1, wherein a configuration of a fully filled reservoiroverlying the other empty one is depicted;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view illustration of the multiplereservoir device in FIG. 4, taken along the line IV-IV;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view illustration of a multiple reservoir deviceaccording to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view illustration of the multiple reservoirdevice in FIG. 6, wherein the bottom reservoir is fully filled;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view illustration of a multiple reservoir deviceaccording to another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a top view illustration a multiple reservoir device accordingto another embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a partial schematic structural view illustration of themultiple reservoir device in FIG. 9, wherein only one reservoirapparatus is shown;

FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional perspective view illustration of thereservoir apparatus in FIG. 10, taken along the line X-X;

FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional side view illustration of a multiplereservoir device according to another embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 13 is a cross-sectional side view illustration of the multiplereservoir device in

FIG. 12, taken along the line XII-XII;

FIG. 14 is a cross-sectional side view illustration of a multiplereservoir device installed on a truck according to another embodiment ofthe present invention; and

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional side view illustration of the multiplereservoir device in FIG. 14, taken along the line XIV-XIV.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

It is noted that the number of the extensible reservoir apparatuses ineach of the following embodiments is for illustrative purposes and canbe changed; features from different embodiments may be employed incombination. It is further noted that throughout this text and theappended claims, for purposes of clarity and consistency, the term“storage” is used to describe features regarding the accommodationmodule 2, and the verb “store” and its verbals are used to refer to thefunctions thereof; the term “reservoir” is used to designate componentsof the reservoir module 3, and the verb “reserve” and its verbals areused to refer to the functions thereof; the term “processor” may beinterpreted to include, but not be limited to, a mixer, a grinder, afilter, and a blender, for example; the meaning of the verb “contract”and its other word formations, while used to refer to the functions ofthe reservoir 3RR, may be interpreted to include the meaning of the verb“collapse” and its other word formations.

The multiple reservoir device according to the present inventionincludes an accommodation module 2 that can take various shapes andforms such as, but not limited to, a luggage and a tank; a reservoirmodule 3 that is installed in the housing 2H of the accommodation module2 and has at least two extensible reservoir apparatuses 3R for reservingsubstances; and a transportation module 4 comprising a pumping means 4Pfor transporting substances into and out of the reservoir apparatuses3R. Each of the reservoir apparatuses 3R has a reservoir capacity thatcan exploit all the storage space of the accommodation module 2, and hasa reservoir 3RR that may be made of materials such as, but not limitedto, rubber, plastic, and balloon which are collapsible, resilient,and/or airtight. The reservoir 3RR can be so made that, whetherreserving substance, it always contracts to a minimum possible sizewithout applying any external force thereto. (In the embodimentshereinafter, instead of 2H, the numbers 21, 22, 23, and 24 are used todesignate housings; instead of 3R, the numbers 31, 32, 33, and 34 areused to designate reservoir apparatuses; instead of 3RR, the numbers 31a, 31 b, 31 c, 321, 324, 331, and 341 are used to designate reservoirs;instead of 4P, the numbers 411, 413, 426 and 43 are used to designatepumping means.)

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, and 3, in this embodiment the accommodationmodule 2 comprises a housing 21 whose interior space is divided by avertical partition 216 and a horizontal partition 217 into a first space211, a second space 212, and a third space 213, all of which are usedfor storing objects. The housing 21 further has a cover 215 used forcovering the housing 21 and a mobile partition 214 used for separatingthe third space 213 into a storage space 213A used for storing tworeservoir apparatuses 31 which have a reservoir 31 a connected to a pipe311 and a reservoir 3 lb connected to another pipe 311 respectively, anda space 213B which is used for storing foreign objects (FIGS. 2, 3).While the reservoirs 31 a, 31 b and the substances reserved therein donot occupy the whole third space 213, the space 213B that is partitionedout by the mobile partition 214 can be used for storing foreign objects.FIGS. 2 and 3 depict the device's embodied practice of accommodatingboth the device's parts and foreign objects (two cylinders).

Referring to FIGS. 3, 4, and 5, each of the pipes 311 is connected to apumping means 411 installed in the first space 211 for transportingsubstance into and out of a reservoir. Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5, whilethe reservoir 3 lb is filled with substance, it will overlie the otherrelatively flat reservoir 31 a, and while the third space 213 is fullyoccupied, no space is available for any foreign objects and the twocylinders are therefore removed from the multiple reservoir device.

In the case that the reserved substance needs to be processed (e.g.,mixed, ground, pulverized, blended, filtered, etc.) before beingtransported out of the device, a processor 412 connected to the pumpingmeans 411 with the pipes 312 can be added, and in the case that twosubstances need to be mixed, for example, and reserved before being sentout, a reservoir 31 c (not depicted) can be added such that thesubstances withdrawn from the reservoirs 31 a and 31 b are mixed by theprocessor 412 and pumped into the reservoir 31 c. Because the totalvolume of the reserved substances does not change, the multiplereservoir device can process them and simultaneously reserve them usingthe same storage space. The same processor 412 can be added to every ofthe following embodiments and will not be repeated hereafter.

In this embodiment, the housing 21 can take the form of an extensibleluggage, thus adding flexibility to the volume of the presentinvention's storage space. As mechanisms for extending and contractingan extensible luggage are commonly seen and easy to achieve, they willnot be described herein.

Referring to FIGS. 6, and 7, in this embodiment the accommodation module2 comprises a cylindrical extensible housing 22, whose interior storagespace 226 is defined by a cover 221, a base wall 222, a lower sidewall223, and an upper sidewall 224 which has a diameter greater than that ofthe lower sidewall 223 and which, together with the cover 221, moves upand down to change the interior space 226. The reservoir module 3comprises three mobile extensible reservoir apparatuses 32, each ofwhich includes a reservoir 321, an extensible hose 323, and a roundreservoir base 322 with a sidewall on the rim of and perpendicular toits base. The reservoir 321 is sealed to the sidewall, and the hose 323installed on the sidewall is in fluid communication with the interiorreservoir space of the reservoir 321 and is connected to a pumping means413, which is used for transporting substance into and out of thereservoir 321 through the hose 323 and an external hose 414. A mobilepartition 225 which has the same function as that of the mobilepartition 214 in the previous embodiment is included such that theinterior space 226 can be used for accommodating both the reservoirapparatuses 32 and foreign objects.

FIG. 6 shows that the interior storage space above the mobile partition225 is used to store two foreign objects, namely a cylinder and arectangular block. FIG. 7 shows changes after the reservoir apparatus 32at the bottom is filled with substance and the two foreign objects areremoved. Now the upper two reservoir apparatuses 32 are lifted by thefully filled reservoir 321 underneath, the hoses 323 of the liftedapparatuses extend accordingly, and the cover 221 and the upper sidewall224 are raised to depict how the interior space 226 changes with themovement thereof. The mobile partition 225 is removed to show the topportion of the uppermost reservoir 321.

The housings of the accommodation module 2 in the following embodimentscan all be made extensible as those mentioned above; therefore, thedetail regarding this feature will not be repeated hereinafter.

A further embodiment of a multiple reservoir device according to thepresent invention is shown in FIG. 8 and is identical to that describedabove with respect to FIGS. 6 and 7, except as regards certain detailsof the reservoir 321, which is replaced with the reservoir 324 thattakes the form of bellows. Now the reservoir module 3 comprises twoextensible reservoir apparatuses 32, both of which are partially filled.The cover 221 and the upper sidewall 224 are raised such that a cylindermay be placed in the interior space on the mobile partition 225.

Referring to FIGS. 9, 10, and 11, in this embodiment two extensiblereservoir apparatuses 33, each of which has a bellows reservoir 331 anda reservoir support 332 with a nozzle 334 installed at its bottom, areincluded in the housing 23. The transportation module 4 is installedbelow the reservoir apparatuses 33 and includes a fixed upper disk 421,a mobile lower disk 422, a plurality of upper connecting nozzles 423, aplurality of lower connecting nozzles 424, a plurality of extensiblehoses 425, a pumping means 426, and a positioning means 427. The upperand lower connecting nozzles 423, 424 are fixed on the upper and lowerdisks 421, 422, respectively; the nozzle 334 is connected to an upperconnecting nozzle 423 by a flexible hose 335. The pumping means 426 hasa plurality of pumps, each of which is connected to a lower connectingnozzle 424 and a hose 425 for pumping substance into and out of areservoir 331. The positioning means 427 is used for positioning andconnecting a lower connecting nozzle 424 to a target upper connectingnozzle 423 by turning and elevating the lower disk 422 to transportsubstance into and out of the reservoir 331 connecting to the targetupper connecting nozzle 423.

Referring to FIG. 11, the reservoir 331 and the reservoir support 332are sealed together to form an interior extensible reservoir space 333such that the nozzle 334 is the only passage through which the reservoirspace 333 is in fluid communication with its exterior and through whichsubstance can come into and out of the reservoir space 333. Whilesubstance is being filled into the reservoir space 333, the reservoir331 is correspondingly bulging with its outer portion expanding in thedirection indicated by the arrow D along the circular inner contour (notdepicted) of the housing 23, and extracting the same substance out ofthe reservoir 331 will cause it to contract in the reverse directionindicated by the arrow E. Thus, the extensible nature of the reservoir331 offers a flexibility of exploiting the interior of the housing 23.

Referring to FIGS. 12, and 13, in this embodiment the accommodationmodule 2 comprises a cylindrical housing 24 whose interior space isdefined by a front wall 241, a rear wall 242, and a sidewall 243 whosebottom portion has a slide groove 244 attached thereto for allowing amobile pumping means 43, which has at least one protrusible nozzle 431(four nozzles depicted therein) and is used for transporting substanceinto and out of a reservoir 341 through a nozzle 431 and an extensiblehose 432, to move back and forth therein. The reservoir module 3comprises four mobile extensible reservoir apparatuses 34 installedhorizontally side by side in the housing 24, each of which includes abellows reservoir 341, a round reservoir base 342 with a sidewall on therim of and perpendicular to its base, a round reservoir board 343, avent 344, and a rotating means 35 (not depicted) which comprises aplurality of rollers 351, a motor roller 352, and a turntable 353(depicted).

The reservoir 341, whose left and right rims are sealed to the sidewallof the reservoir base 342 and the rim of the reservoir board 343respectively, is sandwiched between the reservoir base 342 and thereservoir board 343. The vent 344 is installed on the sidewall and isopened only when one of the nozzles 431 of the pumping means 43protrudes to insert therein.

The turntable 353 of a reservoir apparatus 34 is attached to thereservoir base 342 thereof; the rollers 351 are installed along the rimsof the reservoir base 342 and the reservoir board 343. The rollers 351,along with the turntable 353, are used for allowing the reservoirapparatus 34 to rotate and move back and forth freely without rubbingits other parts against the components of other modules. The motorroller 352 included in the rotating means 35 is installed on thesidewall and is used for rotating the reservoir apparatus 34 by rollingitself against the sidewall 243 to help process the substance therein.To better achieve the function of the motor roller 352, the rotatingmeans 35 may use a remote controller (not depicted), which may beincluded in the programmable logic controller (PLC) C mentioned bellow,to control the motor roller 352. Thus one reservoir apparatus 34 canrotate individually without affecting others. The spaces foraccommodating the rollers 351 and the motor roller 352 can be easilypartitioned and sealed out within the interior space along the rims ofthe base 342 and the reservoir board 343 such that the exteriorconfiguration is that shown in FIGS. 12, and 13; thus the interiorconfiguration will not be depicted herein.

To pump substance into and out of a reservoir apparatus 34, the pumpingmeans 43 and the motor roller 352 function together so that the vent 344is rotated to the bottom first, then one nozzle 431 is positioned in thevent 344, and then the pumping means 43 starts to pump. These functionscan be achieved by using sensors, motors, and a programmable logiccontroller C (not depicted), the detail of which will not be describedherein however.

A further embodiment of a multiple reservoir device according to thepresent invention is shown in FIGS. 14 and 15 and is identical to thatdescribed above with respect to FIGS. 12 and 13, except as regardscertain details of the rotating means. Instead of rollers and motorrollers, a motor 354 installed on the lower part of the front wall 241,and a rotating rod 355 r and a plurality of free rolling rods 355 sopositioned in the housing 24 as depicted in the figures are used forrotating and supporting the reservoir apparatuses 34. The rotating rod355 r is attached to and turned by the motor 354 to rotate the reservoirapparatuses 34. A luggage is placed in the housing 24 and the wholemultiple reservoir device is installed on a truck to depict the flexibleapplication of the present invention.

While several embodiments of the present invention have been illustratedand described, various modifications and improvements can be made bythose skilled in the art. The embodiments of the present invention aretherefore described in an illustrative, but not restrictive, sense. Itis intended that the present invention may not be limited to theparticular forms as illustrated, and that all additions, deletions, andmodifications which maintain the spirit and scope of the presentinvention are within the scope as defined in the appended claims.

1. A multiple reservoir device comprising: an accommodation modulecomprising a housing having a storage space; a reservoir moduleinstalled in the accommodation module comprising at least two extensiblereservoir apparatuses, each having an extensible reservoir for reservingsubstance, the reservoir apparatuses having a relatively contracted formwhen the reservoir is empty and a relatively extended form when thereservoir is at least partially filled; and a transportation modulecomprising a pumping means for connecting to the reservoir apparatusesand transporting substances into and out of the reservoir apparatuses.2. The multiple reservoir device according to claim 1, wherein theaccommodation module comprises a mobile partition for separating astorage space of the housing into a storage space for storing reservoirapparatuses and a storage space for storing foreign objects.
 3. Themultiple reservoir device according to claim 2, wherein the housing isan extensible housing having an extensible storage space.
 4. Themultiple reservoir device according to claim 1, wherein the housing isan extensible housing having an extensible storage space.
 5. Themultiple reservoir device according to claim 1, wherein the reservoiralways contracts to a minimum possible size without applying anyexternal force thereto.
 6. The multiple reservoir device according toclaim 1, wherein the reservoir is a bellows.
 7. The multiple reservoirdevice according to claim 1, comprising a positioning means forconnecting the pumping means to the reservoir apparatuses.
 8. Themultiple reservoir device according to claim 1, comprising a processorfor processing substances being transported into and out of thereservoirs.
 9. The multiple reservoir device according to claim 1,comprising a rotating means for rotating the reservoir apparatuses. 10.The multiple reservoir device according to claim 9, wherein each of thereservoir apparatuses comprises a reservoir sandwiched between a roundreservoir base and a round reservoir board.
 11. The multiple reservoirdevice according to claim 10, wherein the rotating means comprises amotor roller and a plurality of rollers installed on the round reservoirbase and the round reservoir board.
 12. The multiple reservoir deviceaccording to claim 10, wherein each apparatus comprises a vent forallowing substance to pass therethrough to enter and leave an extensiblereservoir.
 13. The multiple reservoir device according to claim 10,wherein the rotating means comprises: a rotating rod and a plurality ofrolling rods, for supporting and rotating the reservoir apparatuses; anda motor, for turning the rotating rod to rotate the reservoirapparatuses.
 14. The multiple reservoir device according to claim 1,wherein the reservoir apparatuses are mobile.
 15. The multiple reservoirdevice according to claim 14, wherein each of the reservoir apparatusescomprises an extensible hose connected to the transportation module. 16.The multiple reservoir device according to claim 1, wherein the pumpingmeans is mobile.
 17. The multiple reservoir device according to claim16, wherein the accommodation module comprises a slide groove forallowing the pumping means to move back and forth therein.
 18. Themultiple reservoir device according to claim 16, comprising apositioning means for connecting the pumping means to the reservoirapparatuses.
 19. The multiple reservoir device according to claim 18,the positioning means comprising at least one protrusible nozzle forconnecting to the reservoir apparatuses.
 20. The multiple reservoirdevice according to claim 1, comprising a controller for controlling thereservoir module and the transportation module.
 21. The multiplereservoir device according to claim 1, wherein the housing is a luggage.22. The multiple reservoir device according to claim 1, wherein each ofthe reservoir apparatuses has a reservoir capacity that can exploit allthe storage space of the housing.
 23. A method of transporting substanceinto and out of a reservoir comprising the steps of: a. positioning thevent of the reservoir to the bottom of the reservoir space thereof; b.connecting the pumping means to the vent; and c. pumping substance intoand out of the reservoir through the vent.
 24. A method of transportingsubstance into a reservoir comprising the steps of: a. positioning thevent of the reservoir to the top of the reservoir space thereof; b.connecting the pumping means to the vent; and c. pumping substance intothe reservoir through the vent.